Pregnancy

Quitting smoking or other tobacco related products while pregnant is the best thing you can do for your baby.

Pregnancy is the best time to quit!

We know that it can be difficult to quit smoking. But we also know that you want to give your baby the best possible start in life.

Quitting smoking is the most important thing you can do to improve your baby’s health, growth and development. But there are many old wives’ tales about smoking during pregnancy that actually stop mums-to-be from quitting. So we thought we should share the facts you need to know.

No matter what stage you’re at in your pregnancy, it’s never too late to stop smoking.

And you’re up to four times more likely to quit successfully with support.

What does smoking do to my baby?

When you smoke a cigarette, the smoke passes through your lungs into your bloodstream. That blood then moves around your body until it goes through the placenta and umbilical cord – right into your baby’s tiny body. The placenta protects your baby from some things – but not from the poisons in cigarette smoke.

Smoking is the main cause of low birth weight in babies, which can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, illness and cot death.

When I quit, isn’t the stress worse for my baby?

No. Smoking is far more damaging to your health and your baby’s health than any stress that comes from quitting.

It’s the cravings between cigarettes that make you feel stressed and anxious, so when you smoke the cigarette you feel calmer. But you’ll feel much less stressed once you quit and don’t have cravings any more.

You’ll feel better and healthier when you quit. Plus you’re more likely to have a healthy and natural birth, which is much better for you and your baby.

You might be feeling stressed from time to time and you might feel that smoking helps you cope. But non-smokers normally have lower stress levels. So stopping smoking while you’re pregnant should bring your stress levels down.

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